Fetal viability refers to the point at which a fetus can:

• A. survive outside the womb
• B. conceive a child
• C. be delivered by C-section
• D. become viable at birth

Answer: (D)

Fetal viability is the fetus’s ability to survive outside the uterus with medical support. This is about living after birth with neonatal care, not about conceiving or the delivery method. It depends on organ maturity—especially lung development and surfactant—and generally begins to be possible around 24 weeks of gestation, though exact timing varies and some extremely preterm infants can survive with intensive care. The idea of viability isn’t a moment tied to the act of birth itself; it’s about whether life outside the womb can be sustained with help.